Does Anyone Have Any Ideas on How to save Money at Disney World?

Google DIS Boards They have a huge forum about deals at Disney. In fact, starting today they are offering FREE dining when you stay at any Disney Resort. We went last time they did this and there was so much to eat we couldn't even eat it all. Dinner even includes Character Dining! I think I read the dates for the visit were from Late August through Late September. Also sign up for mousesavers newsletter at mousesavers.com

Don't stay on property is the big one.... eat breakfast before you go at your place.... pack your own snacks.... refill your water bottles at water fountains.... eat dinner in rather than at the restaurants... www.vrbo.com is what I used, I got a house off property -- I got a seven night deal on a 5 bedroom house with a pool and hot tub, grill, etc. for LESS than the cost of a 2 bedroom room with a kitchenette for only TWO days at Disney -- I got a week for $1200 ... two nights in a two bedroom without even a full kitchen was over $680 per night on property

While staying off property can save you money on lodging, also look at other benefits to staying on property...no driving in a unknown place, no parking fees, all transportation is included throughout the property, early entry hours, etc. You can stay at the Value Resorts in 2 rooms, or a moderate for probably about the same as what you will pay for comparable lodging plus parking, gas, etc. during certain times of the year. Check out http://www.mousebuzz.com/forum/wdw-budget-tips/ for some great ideas from experienced Disney goers.

www.mousesavers.com is by far the best website for saving money at Disney World. We are a family of five and I did a ton of research before we went. We did stay off property and this is the house we stayed in www.ambervilla.com We had our own swimming pool which we all loved. I bought Brita water bottles at Wal-Mart and froze them every night while we were there so the next day we had cold water bottles at the park. They already have the filter in them so we were able to fill them up in the park. I thought the food portions were generous at Disney so a lot of times my kids and I just shared a meal as we brought snacks into the park. Good luck!!

I agree--stay off property, have a big breakfast, pack snacks, try to eat dinner out of parks (although sometimes we'd catch a quick burger which wasn't too expensive). Also, go to mousesavers.com--it's really great and will give you lots of money saving tips. And, go buy the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland for Kids (or, Families with Kids--I can't remember the exact title). It's an excellent resource and a very quick read. have fun!

I'd look into the Disney Dining- it may seem expensive up front, but you save a LOT of $$$$ & get to eat at some great places you wouldn't have ordinarily eaten at b/c of cost. It took us a few days to get it all down, so email me if you decide to do this & I'll give you the scoop.

D.

I would agree with staying ON-site. I just booked our trip and we got the package deal with room, park passes and the dining plan. I think it's a pretty good deal. We also won't have the expense of renting a car as we're using the Disney Magical Express transportation system. Another perk to staying on site. The value resorts during off-season times are less than $100 per night, which is very comparable to off-site options.

Before we had a child, we would go and plan to eat one meal per day in the parks. We shopped in the sundry shops at the hotel once we arrived and bought breakfast bars and stuff to make sandwiches for lunch. Then we typically ate dinner out.

www.mousesavers.com has some pretty good deals

To help on the cost of "souvenears" and not going overboard on spending in that regard go to the disney store and buy disney dollars. Give each of your children a set amount (maybe they all get $30) and they can buy whatever they want with that but once it's gone no more souvenears. Another option on the same line is to give them disney gift cards which can be used at most places in DW. Go to www.disneygiftcard.com for more info on that.
For tickets go to www.mapleleaftickets.com they are currently running a special...Receive a 5th Day FREE when you purchase a Walt Disney 4-Day Base or Hopper with 14-day Expiration. This place is an authorized disney ticket vendor.
For meals eat breakfast in your room, do a snack late morning, and then eat a big lunch late in the afternoon. Lunch prices are cheaper than dinner prices but you'll still be able to eat in the park and do a character dining lunch if you want.

I don't know if you are a member of Costco or not, but they were running some very good deals.

Hi T.,

I have been living in Texas for the last 4 1/2 years but prior to that, I had the pleasure of spending 5 years in "The Land of the Rat" as so many locals affectionately call it - LOL. In all seriousness, I lived about 10 miles from the parks of Disney World so I spent a lot of time getting to know the ropes of how that all works. Disney is not really in the business of giving breaks on the prices of their tickets. There are tons of "huts" around town that will promise you a couple free park tickets if you go through the torture of a 3 hour time share demonstration. I would strongly encourage you not to go that route as the presentations are very high pressure, the job of these people is to do whatever it takes to get you signed up for vacation rentals that will put you in great debt. There are packages that can be bought as I'm sure you already are aware that will give you parkhopper privileges for X amount of days. These are great because they do give you the freedom to move between the parks and spend the most amount of time at the ones you truly like. As far as accomodations, I would recommed that you choose a hotel in Kissimmee which is basically where the parks are. You will definitely save money, no you won't get as much glamour as the Disney resorts but if you're on a budget then obviously some sacrifices are important. Hotels in Kissimmee will also offer shuttle vans to the parks so you won't have to ride yourselves there. If you do rent a car, you can always go to the nearest Publix grocery store and stock your cooler up with stuff to make sandwiches and then go out to the car to sit down and rest for awhile and enjoy a less expensive lunch. Meals in the park are considerably more expensive than the local MCDonald's and BK's and other fast food places. One other piece of advice, do not buy your gas near the Disney Parks if you should rent a car or drive your own. You will be astonished when you see what they charge for gas. Also, don't forget that another wonderful tourist attraction is there, Universal Studios. They offer better park hopping deals and I have to say that I think US Islands of Adverture is a phenonominal park to visit. Kissimmee has lots of fun mini golf courses, too so if you want something to do away from the park, there's lots to get into. There are many shops that you can buy lots of your souveniers so you don't have to spend so much at Disney itself. I could share with you so many other tips but then you'd be reading all day. Check on the internet about Kissimmee, FL to see if you like any of the prices and hotels that are there. Best wishes for a fun and economical trip.

G.

We've always stayed off-site and enjoy doing that. We eat at McDonald's for breakfast and save money and then bring drinks and snacks to the park. The easiest way to bring snacks is bring a stroller and just park it outside of each ride and the stroller carries all your snacks. I just ordered a backpack cooler from Overstock.com that people reviewed and said they took to Disney and it was great. It's called the "deluxe backpack cooler" if you want to search for it and read the reviews. We are going to Disney in July and are staying at the Runaway Beach Club, which is about two miles outside of Disney. I was able to get a three bedroom condo there for $145 per night by pre-paying through Expedia.com. I read great reviews about the place from tripadvisor.com. The only other piece of advice I have is to ask about the park shuttles if you are planning on staying off-site. Before you book your hotel, make sure they have shuttles and that they will be running while you're there and ask about the times that the shuttles run. I've heard that some hotels have shuttles that do their last pick-up before the park closes, so you're not getting a full day at the park. It might be better to rent a car in that case. You could also plan to spend a day at your hotel using the pool and resting up between park visits to save money too.

A couple of good sites that I use are www.mousesavers.com and www.allearsnet.com. They have a lot of great tips. It also depends on when you are going. They have a deal just about to open up to the public. If your vacation starts in Aug thru the middle of Sept you can get free dining plan upgrade. Check out the first web site I gave you for the specific dates. This is the best thing we have ever tried!! There is so much food that you end up not using all of your meals.
Have fun!
K.

We just returned from there. Don't waste your time trying to find discount tickets they don't exist. However, if you get a group package (tickets included) you will save some money. Pack lunches/drink and avoid buying at local restaurants - their food is super pricey! Have a blast. Oh, and be sure to pick up the little flyer as you walk into the park for meet/greet times on the characters - saves a lot of heartache wondering when you are going to meet/greet minnie/mickey etc?
Let me know if you have any other specific questions.
K.